


Where There is Smoke There is Fire

by dontstudywritenovels



Category: The Outsiders - All Media Types, The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Childhood Friends, Fire jokes since the church didn't burn in this AU, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, M/M, Oh Dally and Johnny are alive because I said so, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29576037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontstudywritenovels/pseuds/dontstudywritenovels
Summary: "Six months went a lot faster than Pony thought because when he went to school that next morning, a familiar mop of curls greeted him in Homeroom. "OrAfter six months spent in the reformatory, Curly Shepard is finally back home. Ponyboy's life recently has been...mundane to say the least. Darry had always said Pony and Curly got on like a house fire, maybe it was time to reignite an old friendship.
Relationships: Ponyboy Curtis/Curly Shepard
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Where There is Smoke There is Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to chapter one! I'm not quite sure how long this will be, but hope to update at least once a week. Buckle up kids (:

Ponyboy was a smart kid, despite being a little slow at times. He noticed patterns in his life, he noticed that his chances of finding trouble usually depended on who he was with. He and Johnny kept their heads down, Johnny was a good kid and a great friend. If Dally was hanging around them, their chances increased quite a bit. Dally liked trouble and was looking for it at any opportunity. When he hung around Curly Shepard, however, finding trouble was guaranteed.   
  
Pony had known Curly as far back as he could remember. Even when his parents were still alive, the Curtis’ respected and was mostly friendly with the Shepherds. This respect only increased when word got around what Tim could do, how you didn’t want to be on Tim Shepard’s bad side. They were all greasers though, so Ponyboy knew even if Tim was angry at one of the gang, the Curtis’ and Shepherds would always unite against the socs.   
  
It didn't matter too much anyway, Pony kept his head out of trouble when he could think enough to use it and he and Curly got on like fire.   
  
Curly had been in the reformatory for the last six months though, so Pony usually only hung around Johnny and Dally, which Darry seemed to be happy with. Today though, Dally had gotten mixed up in something, and he didn’t mind too much. Police didn’t scare Dallas Winston and neither did the slumming around the reformatory, it wasn’t much a surprise he was being put back in.   
  
Johnny was pretty pissy about it though.  
  
“I just don’t get why Dally can’t keep more to himself. That’s what he always tells us, ain’t it? Take care of yourself.” Johnny took a hit of his cig, face long.   
  
“You know Dally,” Ponyboy said. “Can’t help himself. Nothin’ legal appeals to him.”   
  
“Yeah, yeah. Means it’ll just be us for a while though.” Johnny sighed. Johnny was right. Sodapop and Steve seemed to spend every waking moment together and after Sandy left Steve was on a mission to find Soda a new girl. Sodapop is good-looking enough to get one himself just fine, but his heart just hasn’t been in it.   
  
Pony honestly too wasn’t sure if Soda would ever get over, Soda had said he was going to marry Sally only a few days before she broke up with him and moved away. Soda didn’t talk about and Pony didn’t ask, but every time the mail came ‘round Soda always asked if anything came for him.  
  
“Glad to have you too, buddy.” Ponyboy teased, a small smirk on his lips as he took another drag of his cig.  
  
“Oh you know I ain’t mean it like that. Just ain’t the same without ol Dally.” Johnny bumped his shoulder against Pony’s. Pony bumped his back as they walked down the street.   
  
They got on like that for the rest of the afternoon, bumming it around their small neighborhood until the sun started to set. Ponyboy had always liked to watch the sunset, the colors painting the sky in a way he only wished his painting could reflect.   
  
“Better get home before Darry calls the whole state lookin’ for me.” Ponyboy didn’t look away from the pink and orange sky. “You going home?”  
  
“Nah, Imma stay out a bit longer. Get a real good look at the sky before it fades.” Johnny said. Pony put a hand on Johnny’s shoulder in farewell before he turned to walk back home. Darry was anal about him home before dark on weeknights. He probably wouldn’t let Pony out at all if he was home to stop him, or if Soda didn’t insist he should get some sunlight. Pony kicked a can as he walked up to it, picking it up as he came back up to it.   
  
He tossed it in the bin in his yard, before taking the stairs two at a time and entering his house. Most weeknights were the same. Get back from school, cram homework, meet up with Johnny and Dally, come back at Sunset for dinner, more homework, and go to sleep. Wake up cold, sweaty, and shaking from a dream he couldn’t quite remember. Rinse and repeat. Most school days were all the same too, though tomorrow proved to be a little different.

  


* * *

  
  
Six months went a lot faster than Pony thought because when he went to school that next morning, a familiar mop of curls greeted him in Homeroom. Ponyboy and Curly wouldn’t even be in the same class if Pony hadn’t skipped a grade. With how much Curly annoyed him sometimes, he wondered if skipping at all was a mistake.   
  
When Pony got to his seat, Curly’s eyes were already on him, his toothy smirk plastered on his already smug face.   
  
“Long time no see, baby Curtis.” Curly leaned back in his chair to put his elbow on Pony’s desk.   
  
“Long time since you showed up 'forenoon.” Pony grinned.“Yeah, well Tim ain’t real happy with six months in the reformatory and all. Woke me up before dawn and everything so I'd be early.”   
  
“Sounds like he’s almost as bad as Darry,” Pony responded, annoyance clear on his face. Curly laughed.  
  
“Wouldn’t be surprised if he asked superman for some tips. Prob got together over tea to exchange new parent mags.” Curly looked real proud of himself, face alight with joy. Pony and Curly had always been pros at snarking back and forth, something they picked up in their childhoods.   
  
The teacher came in not a second later, going over morning announcements and such. Curly kept his eyes a Pony for a moment longer though, eyes filled with amusement and something else Ponyboy couldn’t place. He didn’t pay it any mind, however, as he zoned out to the teacher’s voice and leaned back into his chair.   
  
Curly could sure be a handful, but it was good to see him. Have him back and all that. Especially with Dally gone, Pony realized, having another buddy around, another greaser at school was always good. Though it’s not like Dally ever bothered with school. Pony stared at the back of Curly’s head, hair a mess of black swirls and tufts.

Yeah, it was good to have him back.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh btw I got request on Tumblr, I see you, it's in the works!

**Author's Note:**

> I LIVE OFF OF KUDOS AND COMMENTS 
> 
> Want to request something? Prompt me on my [tumblr](https://dontstudywritenovels.tumblr.com)! I'm always looking to fulfill prompts((:


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